What is important for consumers' energy-related decisions? A cross-sectoral systematic review and meta-analysis for the Nordic countries

Abstract

The energy transition is shaped by the decisions of individuals. These decisions, in turn, are influenced by a diverse set of factors that have been the object of various studies reported in the literature. Most of these studies have, however, focused on a single decision or a sector. Here, we conduct for the Nordic countries a systematic literature review and a meta-analysis of factors affecting four important consumers' energy-related decisions, namely (1) the choice between an electric or a conventional vehicle, (2) mode choice for personal transport, (3) choice of heating system, and (4) deployment of energy-saving measures at home. We aim to identify the implications that certain factors may have for many of such decisions, potentially encouraging some while discouraging others. Our analysis shows that a group of factors, such as attitude, comfort, costs, living in a detached house, emission implications of the choice, perceived behavioral control, environmental friendliness of the technology, and subjective norm, affect multiple decisions uniformly, in terms of the direction of effect the factor has on environmentally benign decisions. There are, however, also factors for which trade-offs exist, for example, while better public transport infrastructure encourages the use of public transport use, it discourages walking and cycling. We also show differences in outcomes between revealed and stated preferences surveys. Our analysis shows that for electric vehicle adoption, the statistical significance of factors typically increases when excluding the stated preferences surveys. Finally, our findings can aid policymakers in crafting more effective interventions to meet climate targets.